Cable guide



March 31, 1953 w. R. BECK CABLE GUIDE 5 Sheets-Sheet l @mmm JNVENToR. LzY'Z/zam RB60/c I Q P ATTo/ Filed Dec. 8, 1949 W R. BECK March 31, 1953 CABLE GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1949 INVENTOR. ZJz/am Q. Bec/c ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 an 22522. l

W. R. BECK CABLE GUIDE March 31, 1953 Filed Dec. 8, 1949 INVENTOR.

j/[zam QB@ ck 7. PL@ ATmeNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1953 lUNITED 'STATES `PMITI?.NT GFFI'CE vCABLE GUIDE YWilliam R. Been-chicago, 111.',assigfrmr to Good- -man Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill.,.-a, fcorporation of :Illinois --Application December 8, 19I49,Ser-ial.No.131;84'3

rloiCla-ims. (Cl..24`2-'9`2..)

r1 'This invention relates to improvements dn 'guides Vfor "the-lpcwersupplycableofeJ :mi-ne: shuttle In those mines operated by'trackless systems, shuttle cars are employed for .hauling material -fromlthe working Afaceto the ventry-orzother point of discharge onto -a Fconveyor system, be it a belt or sha-ker type `of conveyor. Grdinarily, Vsuch shuttle cars are lpropelled by uelectric motors connected byra supplycable to Ia junction whichmay be located at a point intermediate fthe working face vand the-peint of discharge `of the-shuttle car. The supply cable for Ithe ycar is wound upon `a cable reel mounted-on the can-and as the 'shuttle car imoves vpast the junction point the supply cable is `alternately wound lupon or payed from the -cable reel.

Likewise, when the'shuttle car passes the junction'point the supplycablefchanges its direction 'of `lay -with respect vto the junction point. At the Sametime, also, the cable must be vguided according "to the relationship Yof -the'vehicle with respect tothe junction. Thus the 4cable must be so Yguided vthat it will fbe payed on or Iwound upon the `cable reel 'from 'the 'end `4of 'the 'vehicle with reference to'one side ofthe -junction point, orso Aguided that it `will be payed off `or wound upon the cable reel from the side `o'i the vehicle with reference to Athe other'side of the junction point, in `orderthat the vehiclewill not overrun its-supply cable. l

.The principal object of the present invention is 'to 'afford a guide for the supply cable -of a shuttle vcar vwhich will prevent 'fouling 'of the supply cable irrespective vof -the position iand ydirection oftheshuttle car and irrespective ofthe change in direction of the shuttle car.

Another object comprehends the provision 'of a guide sheave mounted on Va swinga'ble 'arm 4and havinga cable guide Varm adapted to swing with Vrespect to the swingable arm according to Athe direction of lay of the cable, the guide arm being -prevented from having unintended swinging movement With-respect to the swinging arm by ya detent yi'eldably locking the swingable arm tand the vcable guide arm in proper position with respect VVto veach other, 'the arrangement being such that the cable will not become :disengaged from vthe guide sheave.

Still another object is to afford an arrangement Aof vguidesfor the vsupply cable of a mine car which 'will prevent the supply cable from becoming disengaged from the guide sheave, 'and to maintain such engagement of the supply vcable with the sheave irrespective 'of the 'direction Aof motion of the'shuttlefcarorfthe change .in direction of rsuch fmotion. V

-Other objects and 'important features '-.of the invention will be ,apparent :from -a study "of the following description taken together lwith the drawings whichdllustrate@preferred Vormof the invention and what is ynow :considered to fbe :the :best mode lof 'applying the :principles thereof. While :the inventionfis described in i-terms -of i,what

is fnow lconsidered to be .fa preferred embodiment thereof, its Iscope ifintended to lbe flimited ronly by the appended claims. 3 In .the ldraw-ings: Figure ,l :is a pla-n wieweof :5a :zn-ine "shuttlercar embodying z-the ,cable guide .according Vto :the

, present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlargedgplan view v10i fthe .cable guide show-n in Figure 1 AFigure r3 ,is an enlarged fend wiew of -ithe cable guide fof Figures 1 'and2 v:looking Ain :the :direction :of the arrows vil-*3 :of Figure 2;;

fing Vthe cable guide according to :the present invention in positions-tomay 'offer-wind upthefsup- .ply cable 'over .theend f of the :shuttle lcar.;

Figure 5 is anenlarged end View :of Y:the cable gu-ide inthep-positionas zshown'inFigure '41; :and

'Figure I6 'a schematic diagramshovving'the rshifting fof the cable :guide .according ite the :position if the-shuttlecar withlrespecttothejunction :pom

Referring .now particularly I-to .Figures l1 and i2 :of the drawings, there is fshown -a :mine shuttle car :I 0 which includes :a storage bedfand ffram'e -IfI .having aa :flight conveyor t2 fmoving longitudina'lly 'thereof "for :storage of material thereon :for transport in .a -mine and for fdischarge -of matezrial therefrom onto a conveyor or other Itrans-- .porting medium. The shuttle car lIiIJ i's-provided Vwith -front and rear -di-rigible -driving wheels I3 which .are under fthe Acont-rol -of an operator occupying a seat I-II, the vehicle being `steered by the .operator voccupying `eith'ervof Lthe v'seats 4I 4,*by means :of a steering wheel -If6.

Power is supplied to the vehicle AI Il by meansv of .a .flexible ,power ,cable .'I'I which is gudied 'with :respect to the vehicle iby za fcable .-gui'de I.8. The power cable H ,is threaded vthrough a :guide 4eye vi5! and over an idler sheave V20, .both :.of 'which are vsupported in .any convenient ...fashion :by ythe vframe I I. The y,cable II `yisfwound upon -or payed from a cable reel 2l Ias thecar I 0 ,moves with respect 4to a .xed junction supplying power 13g "the drive motors thereof, not shown. The cable reel2 I 1s powered by a luidfor electriodrive-motqr 22 connected by a shaft 23, which in turn is connected to a drive chain 24 to drive the cable reel 2l. The cable l1 is layer wound upon the reel by means of a spooler 26 mounted upon a reversing lead screw 21.

The details of the construction of the shuttle car thus far described form no part of the present invention except as may be necessary to support the description and the details of construction of the cable guide i8.

The cable guide I8 includes a double swinging arm 28 which is journaled on a vertical shaft 28 supported in a bracket 3l bolted to a vertical side member 32 of the shuttle car i8. As seen in Figure 5, the lower swinging arm 28 is curved upwardly and terminates in a hub 33, and the upper arm 28 in a similar fashion terminates in a hub 34, the hubs 33 and 34 being drilled to receive and support a vertical shaft 36 for a guide sheave 31 adapted to turn freely at the free end -of the swinging arm 28. The vertical shaft 38 likewise provides a turning center for cable guide arms 38 having hubs 38 and 4 l, which respectively underlie and overlie the hubs 33 and 34. The

cable guide arms 38 are formed with an eye 42 fat the free end thereof to provide a guide for the cable l1 which is threaded therethrough.

In order that the cable l1 will be maintained `-in contact with the guide sheave 31 for all positions of the cable guide arm 38 with respect to the swinging arm 28, the hub 33 of the swinging arm 28 is formed integrally with a cable support 43 having an upwardly extending flange 44 which is 'spaced a slight amount from the periphery of the guide-sheave 31, and which extends for a distance along the periphery of the guide sheave 31.

Itwill be noted from Figure 5 that the cable I1 will be thus supported by the cable support 43 :should the cable l1 tend to fall out of engagement .with thegroove of the sheave 31.

The hub il of the cable guide arm 38 is likewise integrally 4formed with a cable hold down arm 86 having a rdownward extension 41 which partly overlies the 'groove of the sheave 31 and which prevents any tendency of the cable I1 in arching up from leav- :ing the groove of the sheave 31.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the drawings,

'when the shutter car I8 is paying out or reeling in -cable over the right end thereof, as seen in Figure 6, the car occupying the position to the left of the junction box, the swinging arm 28 and the .cable guide arm 38 will occupy the position as `-shown in Figure 4. If the shuttle car is moving to the left, as seen in Figure 4, and is on the left ,side of the junction point as seen in Figure 6, the parts will continue to occupy the position .s hown, and likewise if the direction of the car should be reversed, that is, the car Hl should be moving to the right as seen in Figure 4, the parts 'will occupy the same position shown until the car approaches the power junction therefor.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cable I1 occupies the position shown when the car is traveling away from the power junction and to the right guide arm 38 to move in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the swinging arms 28, -since a torque would be created caused by the n'weight of the unsupported portion of the cable I1 upon the cable guide eye 42. The torque so created would normally tend to cause the cable guide arm 38 to move in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the arms 28. and the tendency for such counterclockwise movement would tend to move the cable l1 out of disengagement with the guide sheave 31, particularly when the cable reel 2i had not reversed its direction of movement as rapidly as the car ID had reversed its direction of movement. In order to prevent the tendency of the cable guide arm to have such counterclockwise movement upon the conditions just stated, means are provided for releasably locking the arm 38 with respect to the arms 28 in the position shown in Figures l and 2. To this end the hub lll of the upper arm 38 is provided with a detent plate 88 having a plurality of spaced notches 438 therein. The notches 49 cooperate with a detent arm 5I having a detent roller 50 on the end thereof and pivoted to the upper swinging arm 28 as at 52. The detent arm 5I is biased in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 2 by a spring 53 bearing thereagainst and bottomed at its other end against a stop 54 struck out from the upper arm 28.

Normally, the operation of the vehicle on the other side of the junction point, as seen in Figure 2, causes the arms 28 to be moved to the position shown with the lower arm 28 engaging a stop 58 formed on a plate 51 extending from the vertical plate member 32. The tension induced in the cable l1 by movement of the car I8 to the right causes the cable guide arm 38 to move in a clockwise direction with respect to the guide arms 28 until the detent arm 5| is in the detent notch shown. This position of the cable guide 38 with respect to the swinging arms 28 will be maintained for all directions of travel of the shuttle car I8 as long as it remains on the other side of the junction point as seen in Figure 6. As the shuttle car moves to the left as seen in Figure 6, the arm 38 will change its position with respect to the swinging arms 28, and the detent arm 5l will occupy successive notches d8, as will be occasioned by proper guiding of the cable l1 with respect to the shuttle car lo as the shuttle car l0 moves closer to the junction point. As seen in Figure 6 when the shuttle car I6 is directly opposite the junction point, the arm 38 will have swung in a counterclockwise direction until the cable i1 is guided at right angles to the shuttle car. As the car moves to the left as seen in Figure 6, past the junction point, the cable guide arm 38 will continue to move in a counterclockwise direction until the swinging arm 28 and the cable guide arm 38 occupy the position as seen in Figure 4.

In order to limit the amount of counterclockwise movement of the guide arm 38 with respect to the swinging arms 28the hub 38 of the lower guide arms 38 is provided with an arm 59 struck out therefrom, which engages an arm 6l formed on the hub 33, until the arms 58 and 6l are in contact as seen in dotted lines in Figure 4.

It will be observed that the cable support 44 and the cable hold down member are at all times preventing the possibility of disengagement of the cable I1 from the guide sheave 31. For example, should the direction of the car be suddenly reversed, as seen in Figure 2, that is, the

direction of movement changed suddenly to the left, any tendency of the cable to loop up will be prevented by the cable hold down member 46, and

,any tendency of the cable l1 to drop below the sheave 31 will be prevented by the cable support 43.

rvaccesos IFrom theforegoingdescriptioniof the invention it willfbe apparent thatiit is possibletoiguide the supply .cable for a shuttle /car1at all times, irrespective ofthe directionofinotion of thecar, and also lirrespective of yits position with .respect to a iixed supply junction point. vIt will also ,be apparent iroin the foregoing descriptionthat-facc-ordingto the present inventiona novel vandxuseful means 'has been provided kfor A,preventing ithe fouling of .the power --supply cable 4for all directions of movementJ of `the shuttle car andfor all positions of'movement of'tthe shuttle car with respect -to the supply junction.

While the invention has been vdescr-ibed in terms Y of Ywhat is now considered tobe a preferred embodiment thereof, .its scope :is .intended .-to l,be limited only by the `appended-claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cable guide for amine vehicle having a reeled -supply :cable connected to Ja source of power at a ,fixed Ipointa swinging-arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable .guidesheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted '.on said swinging arm for `ipiv otal movement with respect to said swinging arm Aand occupying 1a nrst position with respect to said 'swinging arm `*when said vehicle :has moved to positions on one side wof said .iixed point and occupying .a second position Awith .respect tosaid swingingarm when said vehicle has moved to positions on .the other side ofisaidfixed pointand;meansfor.locking said cable `guiding arm in said iirst position .to prevent pivotal'movement of Vfsa-id cable guiding arm with :respect 4to said swingable arm yupon reversal of ysaid Avehicle at positionszonfsaid one side of said nxed point.

2. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply lcable connected to a source of power at a xed point, aswinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted'on said swinging -arm for pivotal Vmovement with respect to said swinging arm and occupying a first position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said iixed point and occupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said xed point, and means for locking said cable guiding arm in said ist position to prevent pivotal movement of said cable guiding arm with respect to said swingable arm upon reversal of said vehicle at positions on said one side of said fixed point comprising a notched detent plate movable with said cable guide arm and a spring biased detent arm pivotally cormected to said swinging arm.

3. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply cable connected to a source of power at a fixed point, a swinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging Iarm and occupying a rst position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said nxed point and occupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said xed point, and means for locking said cable guiding arm in said first position to prevent pivotal movement of said cable guiding arm with respect to said swingable arm upon reversal of said vehicle at positions on said one side of said xed point comprising a notched detent plate secured to one of .said farms., and .aspring gbiasgedadetent armpivotally connected .to the .other of @said arms.

4'4. .In a cable guide fora mine vehicle having a .reeled ,supply `,cable zconnected to a source l.of power at 2a .iixed point, :a -swinging v,armymounted on ,said .vehicle and having Qa :cable -guide fsheave mounted at ,the free -send thereof, :la .cable ,guiding `'.farm,.moimted .on said swinging iarm Lfor .-pivotalfmoyement. with respect -to fsaid swinging arm and :occupying 1.a Iiirstiposition with respect 1to said swinging arm when said vehicle .has moved to positions on onefside of,said;xed pointfand occupying `a secondposition withrespect tosaid swinging arm whensaid Ivehiclehas moved :to positions Von Vthe :other side Vof said iixed point. and means ,i or holding ysaid rcable vin substantial alignment `with '.said sheave during all xpositions of ssaid :swinging arm zand ,said .-,cable guide arm comprising a cable support .movable with isaid swinging I.arm -and1a fcabledmld down member movable withisaid cable g-guidezarm.

l. .5. In a cable guide ffpor amine vehicle .having a reeled :supply cable connected to a source of power .at :aiixed zpoint, .a iswinging farm jmounted onisaid vehicle and :having ia cable guide sheave mounted Aat .the ,free ,end thereof, 1a cableguiding 'arm mounted on said .swing-ing :arm ioripivotal movement with `respect .to said :swinging :arm Vand occupying la nrst position yiwith respect to said swinging rarm :when ,said zvehicleihas moved to positions v.on one :side of said fixed point and occupying a :second Iposition -Awith ,respect to said swinging farm when 'said vehicle has Imoved yto positions on f thefrotheriside of said ,Xed point, and means for holding said -scable :in substantial alignment "with said ,sheave :for all fpositions of said lswinging :arm and said VVcable 'guidefar-m :comprising :a .cable :support movable -with and supported fby one l01E said arms and a 'cableliold down member movable with andfsupportedfby the other -of `Nsaid iarms.

16. .In a v'cable guide for `a v,imine vehicle :having :a vreele'dzsupply :cable connected -to a source of power `ata fixed fpoint, azswin'ging'larm mounted on said vehicle iand having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging arm and occupying a first position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said fixed point and occupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said fixed point, and means for holding said cable in substantial alignment with said sheave for all positions of said swinging arm and said cable guiding arm comprising la cable support movable with and supported by one of said arms and a cable hold down member movable with and supported by the other of said arms, and means for locking said cable guiding arm in said first position to prevent pivotal movement of said cable guiding arm with respect to said swingable arm upon reversal of said vehicle at positions on said one side of said fixed point.

7. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply cable connected to a source of power at a iixed point, a swinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging arm and occupying a rst position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said xed point and occupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said Viixed point, and means for controlling the swing of said cable guide arm with respect to said swinging arm as said vehicle moves past said fixed point` to prevent unwrapping' of said cable around said sheave comprising a detent plate movable with said cable guide arm and having a plurality of spaced notches therein, a detent arm pivotally connected to said swinging arm, and spring means urging said detent arm against said detent plate and into said notches.

8. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply cable connected to a source of power at a xed point, a. swinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging arm and occupying a first position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side ci said iixed point and oc-v cupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side ci said fixed point, and means for controlling the swing of said cable guide arm with respect to said swinging arm as said vehicle moves past said fixed point to prevent unwrapping of said cable around said sheave comprising a notched detent plate movable with one of said arms. and a spring biased detent arm connected to the other of said arms and bearing against said detent plate. t

9. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply cable connected to a source of power at a fixed point, a swinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof, a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging -arm and occupying a rst position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said fixed point and occupying a second position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said fixed point, and means for controlling the swing of said cable guide arm with respect to said swinging arm as said vehicle moves past said xed point to prevent unwrapping of said cable around said sheave comprising a releasable latch mechanism holding said cable guide arm in proper position with respect to said swinging arm.

10. In a cable guide for a mine vehicle having a reeled supply cable connected to a source of power at a xed point, a swinging arm mounted on said vehicle and having a cable guide sheave mounted at the free end thereof. a cable guiding arm mounted on said swinging arm for pivotal movement with respect to said swinging arm and occupying a rst position with respect to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on one side of said iixed point and occupying a second position with respect -to said swinging arm when said vehicle has moved to positions on the other side of said iixed point, and means for controlling the swing of said cable guide arm with respect to said swinging arm as said swinging arm and said cable guide arm change position with respect to said vehicle when said vehicle moves past said xed point, to prevent unwrapping of said cable around said sheave comprising a releasable latch mechanism for locking said cable guide arm in position with respect to said swinging arm according to the position of said Vehicle with respect to said fixed point in moving with reference thereto.

WILLIAM R. BECK.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Beck Aug. 7, 1951 Number 

